Indexing

Abstract: This case discusses about the export of spices from India. It begins with the definition of trade and types of trade and further discusses about the reason of trading. Further it’s about India as a permier destination of organic spices, which includes the varieties of spices offered, by India, organic farming, Indian Spice Board initiative, Promotion of spices. Apart from this case discusses about cultivation of various spices in India and then the major Export destinations for spices. It further includes key markets for spices of India, various exporting companies, shipping details for exporting and the logistic method used for exporting spices. The report ends up with conclusion and a news article on export of spices.

Abstract: In this competitive era creating and sustaining the quality of service to meet the expectation of customers is of utmost importance. Understanding the zone of tolerance of consumers and taking innovative measures can certainly enhance the business opportunities and increase market share.
Service quality and customer satisfaction are the vital aspects which companies must understand in order to gain a competitive advantage. Therefore it is has become imperative for companies to know how to improve the moments of truth in a positive way in the mind of customers, measure and analyze the consumer trends and preferences.  Service quality is of utmost importance as it leads to higher customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and retention. Further a it also helps to garner higher profit margins through cross selling and up selling. 
The purpose of this paper is to study the customer expectations of the customers about the quality of service offerings by Panthanivas in Bhubaneswar and measure the customer satisfaction on various services offered using SERVEQUAL Model.

Abstract: To succeed in the modern global economy, it is critical to build a Logistics network that is information-rich, highly flexible, cost effective, and defined by both customer needs and internal corporate strategy. Organizations must constantly reinvent the Logistics network to allow business growth and change. Yet, the superiority in Logistics operations is anything but enough to achieve competitive advantage. The proper handling of Reverse Logistics is currently perceived as the leading distinction edge among organizations. From another perspective, high operational efficiency is dependent on quick, accurate, and continuous exchange of information within an organization. Such ability is achieved through the use of modern Information Technology and computer automation. As organizations cannot move into the highly competitive environment by adapting old management methods, Process Reengineering might be the solution. In this research, the concepts of Reverse Logistics, Information Technology, and Process Reengineering are spotlighted. A reengineering of the current maintenance process of a major Egyptian Healthcare Medical Equipment Provider is proposed in order to enhance the Customer Service Quality and the Operational Efficiency. Computer simulation modeling is used to evaluate the proposed model.

Abstract: The Youth Enterprises have to survive in the global economic environment through defining the areas in which they can achieve the superior results and on them base their complete business. This article discusses the back ground information regarding youth enterprises in relation to vision 2030 and the global trends on SMES competitiveness as well as regional trends on SMES competitiveness. The research objectives are the effects of collaborative networks, innovation, product diversification and entrepreneurial skills on competitive advantage of youth enterprises. Conceptual framework focuses on both independent and dependent variables, independent variables namely; collaborative networks, innovation, product diversification and entrepreneurial skills; dependent variable namely competitive advantage. The purpose of this article is: to unite and to expand the existing cognitions about the concept of collaborative networks, innovativeness, product diversification,  and entrepreneurial skills; propose the universal model for the process of transformation of implementing these concept and to point on the guidelines which should follow these concepts. 

Abstract: Modern Marketing Philosophy advocates the concept of customer relationship marketing that creates customer delight.  In the banking field a unique relationship exists between the customers and the bank.  Due to various reasons like financial burdens, risk of failure, marketing inertia etc., many banks are still following the traditional ways of marketing and only few banks are making attempts to adapt customer relationship marketing.  The role of custom er relationship marketing is very vital in leading the banks towards high level and volume of profits.  So there is a need to study the role of customer relationship marketing in development and promotion of banking sector through the side-lines of the practices, problems and impact of CRM on banking sector all the time.

Abstract: Commercial Surrogacy, which is the act of selling a woman’s ability to give birth to a child with another man strictly for business purposes, is a rapidly growing industry in today’s societies that permit it. It is also an issue that has many moral and ethical implications. It compromises many moral principles and values and therefore raises many questions to consider whether or not commercial surrogacy is moral. Examples of these moral implications include questions such as whether or not it is ethical to put monetary value on the creation of life, how does commercial surrogacy affect women’s rights in countries such as India where we see a particular vast growth in this industry, where women may not necessarily be fully protected by law and may be forced by their families who live in poverty to perform this act for financial necessity. Due to the fact that this is a very modern, as well as rapidly growing issue, it is very important to discuss and raise awareness that it is a very real issue that creates a lot of moral dilemma so that it can be changed and perhaps banned in countries that currently allow it, if deemed immoral. To examine this issue, the situation of commercial surrogacy in India, which has grown into a multibillion dollar industry and is therefore, deemed the worldwide capital of surrogacy. The statistics such as the projected net worth of commercial surrogacy as an industry in 2012 will be analysed as well as different things such as families in India who have experienced commercial surrogacy. The Law Commission of India has submitted the 228th Report on "Need for Legislation to Regulate Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinics as Well as Rights and Obligations of Parties to a Surrogacy."

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of strategic planning on the performance in Secondary Schools in Trans-Nzoia West Sub-County. The objective of this study was to assess the influence that resources have on performance of secondary schools. The target population was 370 numbers of stakeholders in public secondary school in Trans-Nzoia West sub-county. Purposive and random sampling technique was used to sample the schools and the sample size was 30% of the target population. Data collection instruments were questionnaires, interviews and observation. Data was processed by use of percentages. The key recommendations were as follows: - i) The Ministry of Education should ensure that all schools have strategic plans in place to guide in the allocation of school’s resources for efficiency and effectiveness. ii) The government through Ministry of Education together with the County Government should increase funding of infrastructure in the schools in order to ensure that all schools have the necessary basic physical facilities to be able to compete favourably with others that are endowed with adequate facilities. iii) The government through the Ministry of Education should regularly visit schools to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the objectives in the strategic plan and take remedial measures to address failures in areas that need help.

Abstract: This paper sought to examine financial factors affecting the operational efficiency of water companies in Kenya. It was driven specifically by the fact that despite great improvement in the sector, water companies have not yet achieved operational efficiency. It was guided by four objectives: To assess the Effect of Firm’s profitability on the Operation Efficiency of Water Companies in Kenya, to assess effect of revenue collection efficiency on Operation Efficiency of Water Companies in Kenya, to evaluate the effect of size of the firm on Operation Efficiency of Water Companies in Kenya and to evaluate the effect of Operation and Maintenance cost on Operation Efficiency of Water Companies in Kenya. A descriptive survey design was employed where stratified sampling was used to select a sample of 52 respondents.  Interview schedules and the questionnaire were administered as the main tools for data collection. The Data collected was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics aided by SPSS software. From the findings Revenue Collection Efficiency and Operation and Maintenance Cost Coverage were found to be positively correlated with the Cash Conversion Cycle. Thus the above should be considered as key determinant enhancing operational efficiency in water service provision.

Abstract: Supply chains as one of the governance aspect are complex systems with different structures and power proportions between partners.  Managers would be in a better position to meet the challenges of global supply chain processes if they understand the implementation issues and their roles on supply chain effectiveness. The main purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of supply chain management competencies on organizational performance and specifically the effect of innovation Orientation on organizational performance. Explanatory research design was used. The population of study comprised 244 employees from selected Parastatals in Nairobi City County. Questionnaires were used to collect data and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics like means, frequencies, and percentages, and inferential statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regressions. Results indicated that innovation orientation has significant and positive effect on organizational performance. This concludes that firms whose managers have innovation orientation improve performance. It is recommended that there should be further research and development on innovative and leading organizational practices in order to enhance performance and need for supply chain management policies and procedures that follow an appropriate sequence and structure.

Abstract: Retention possesses an essential spot and position inside the entire administration process. This component is utilized productively for swaying staff to make positive commitment for accomplishing organizational goals. Retention is vital, as individual temperament needs some kind of prompting, consolation or motivation to give higher execution. Over the past 5yrs, the rate of nursing staff leaving their jobs has been 40% annually and this has continued to be a problem affecting the delivery of health services. Motivation of employee's therefore, offers numerous edges to the Organization and also to the staff. Hence this study sought to establish the factors affecting retention of health workers in the health sector and especially nurses in the health department of Transnzoia County Government. The study was guided by the following objectives; - to determine the factors that affect nurse retention in the Health sector of Transnzoia County Government, to find out the effects of job satisfaction on nurse retention in the Health sector of Transnzoia County Government and to establish the effect of retention programs in the health sector of Transnzoia County Government. The design used for this study is the descriptive method. The targeted sample for this study comprised of senior management nurses as well as junior management nurses at the hospitals, health centers and dispensaries within Transnzoia County. The total population of nurses currently stands at three hundred and twenty. A sample size of one seventy five members was selected by using random sampling method. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used during the study. The procedures for collection of data for this study were basically questionnaires and interviews. Data collected using the questionnaires was edited for clarity and then frequency tables drawn to show the final results using Pearson product-Moment Coefficient correlation and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The SPSS was used to analyze the information gathered which was used in development of charts and graphs. It is therefore important to understand personal premises and key retention factors anchored on contemporary nursing management practices with identifiable indicators.

Abstract: Employee commitment always plays a very key role in improving the academic performance. Distinguished performing companies perceive that employee commitment is a premier contributing factor toward maintaining continual success and composing value. A committed employee is participative and energized about their work and performs in an aspect that will progress the organization’s interest. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of employee commitment on academic performance of secondary schools in Elgeyo- Marakwet County. The objectives of the study were: to determine the effect of emotional commitment of the headteacher on school’s academic performance, to establish the effect of normative commitment of the headteacher on school’s academic performance, to examine the effect of continual commitment of the headteacher on school’s academic performance. The study adopted a census case design that entailed having all the headteachers of all the secondary schools in Elgeyo-Marakwet County as the respondents. The three constructs of employee commitment i.e. the normative, emotional and continuous commitment were treated as the independent variable while academic performance was the dependent variable. Data was analyzed using SPSS and both descriptive and inferential statistics was used. Regression was used to construct models that were used to determine the nature of the relationships between the variables of interest. All the hypothesized relationships developed were found to be statistically significant at level p < 0.05 i.e. emotional commitment (r = 0.401, p < 0.000), continual commitment (r = 0.410, p < 0.000), normative commitment (r = 0.273, p < 0.000) were correlated to academic performance significantly and positively. all the organizational commitment constructs of emotional commitment, continual commitment, and normative commitment have significant positive relationship with academic performance (emotional commitment: β=.258, p-value= 0.000; continual commitment: β= .137, p-value= 0.020; normative commitment: β= .056, p-value= 0.044). The results of this study will form the framework for policy making on the issue of organizational commitment and academic performance.

Abstract: Medical tourism is a growing phenomenon with policy implications for health systems, particularly of destination countries. Private actors and governments in Southeast Asia are promoting the medical tourist industry. This article presents a conceptual framework that outlines the policy implications of medical tourism's growth for health systems, drawing on the cases of Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and other hubs for medical tourism. Variables for further analysis of the potential impact of medical tourism on health systems are also identified. The framework can provide a basis for empirical, in country studies weighing the benefits and disadvantages of medical tourism for health systems. The policy implications described are of particular relevance for policymakers and industry practitioners in other Southeast Asian countries with similar health systems where governments have expressed interest in facilitating the growth of the medical tourist industry. This article calls for a universal definition of medical tourism and medical tourists to be enunciated, as well as concerted data collection efforts, to be undertaken prior to any meaningful empirical analysis of medical tourism's impact on health systems.

Abstract: India, a country which is known for its textile manufacturing and handlooms, since the early times; and this is revealed by literary and archaeological evidences. India’s textiles manufacturing sector is one of the pillar of the national economy. Government of India has taken many steps to create a brand of Indian textile in the global arena. All the exporters are been provided with various different promotion council to promote their items. For each item there is an export council and for textile it is TEXPROCIL (The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council). “ By not just  pulling away the protectionist measures, but also by enhancing business sector access, avoiding policies which distort competition & also to agree on reforms to world trade regulations; with the help of these council  there can be boost in  trade and also seize the opportunities that it offers for everyone, in the years to come”. Undoubtedly the coin has two phases similarly, the councils has some failing points also. The drawbacks of the council have leaded the exports to battle with various problems in promoting their products. The problems are been stated below.

Abstract: Japanese 5S was selected as the quality improvement tool in this study as 5S is the stepping stone for many quality improvement concepts and its roots date back to 16th century. When successfully implemented, 5S gives many benefits to the organization as well as its stakeholders. Though 5S itself has a tool to sustain, most of the organizations find it difficult to sustain the 5S practice over the time. Therefore the objective of this study was to find out the effect of the organizational culture on the sustainability of quality improvement in Government Healthcare institutions in Sri Lanka. This study was a descriptive cross sectional study with two components. First component was to identify the degree of 5S sustainability in each healthcare institution by validated evaluation sheet. Second component was to determine the effect of the organizational culture on the sustainability of 5S programmes in selected study setting which were government hospitals in RDHS area Kurunegala. Self-administrated questionnaire was used for this purpose. Total study population was 543 employees of all the categories of hospital staff. Calculated sample size was 422 and 375 were responded to the questionnaire giving response rate of 88.9%. The study revealed that organizational culture has great impact on sustainability of quality improvement while value of the organization is the major contributing factors.

Abstract: This study sought to establish the challenges in managing Non Motorized Transport system in Kenya with Eldoret town as a case study. Drastic increases in the number of vehicles have strained urban road networks in Kenya, resulting in traffic congestion for most of the day. The high proportion of all motor vehicles in Eldoret town are  private cars, where more than 70% only carry one passenger and the use of bicycles is very limited. The road infrastructure within CBD is majorly designed for Motorized Transport giving little attention to Non Motorized Traffic. Non Motorized Transport passengers generate no air pollution, no greenhouse gases, and little noise and air pollution; they are efficient and environmentally sustainable means of making short trips within urban centers. The study was guided by the following research objectives: To; examine how Project governance challenges affect management of NMT, evaluate how Project financial management challenges affect management of NMT, and assess how Project management practices challenges affect management of NMT. Descriptive survey design was explained fully to answer research objectives outlined. It includes quantitative data using self-administered structured questionnaires and qualitative data using interview schedules was collected. Participatory transect walks for two weeks was undertaken to observe and document the modes of NMT system. Photographs were taken to document the existing challenges on the mobility facing the Eldoret town residents. To strengthen illustrations, visual aids such as maps and sketches were used to propose the physical infrastructural intervention that can promote the NMT within Eldoret town. Secondary data were collected from the review of published and unpublished materials, government reports, print media and the internet. A Population of 520 non motorized road users on Nairobi-Malaba Highway, Kapsabet and Iten Roads were targeted. Targeted also are 5 Government officials of Kenya Urban Roads Authority-North Rift Region, Kenya National Highways Authority-North Rift Region and NEMA as well as 10 senior employees in the Department of Physical Planning, County Roads and Transport and County Enforcement unit. Both simple and stratified random sampling technique was employed to collect data from respondents. Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression methods will be applied to analyze the data. This study sought to establish the management of NMT (cycling and walking) as a factor in the reduction of traffic congestion and air pollution. The study found that there was a significant relationship between the effects of project control measures on project quality and the effects of project control measures on project budgets (p=0.000). It concluded that accomplishment of objectives is very important in the project delivery schedules. This is mainly because a project that meets its intended objectives qualifies it to control systems that are expected to deliver ever-higher levels of effectiveness. The study recommended that the management of the NMT systems and other projects should ensure timely accomplishment of the project objectives through careful monitoring and evaluation of the projects against the set targets and orientation.

Abstract: Constituency Development Fund (CDF) came into existence in Kenya after the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) came into power with the enactment of CDF Act in 2003, subsequently amended in 2007. The CDF forms one of the devolved funds channeled by central government to the constituencies. It aims at supporting development projects in the constituencies. Over ten years after its inception, various achievements have been made although there is continuous outcry from stakeholders on the ineffective management of the projects funded by CDF. This is blamed on the ineffective management framework of Constituency Development Fund Committees (CDFC). This study looked at the factors influencing project implementation process of CDF projects in the education sector in Mosop Constituency, Nandi County, Kenya, with a view to establishing more effective ways of implementing the projects. The study reviewed literature on some past studies and evaluated their contribution to the objectives of this study. Descriptive survey design was used in carrying out the study and entailed the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. This design was deemed appropriate for this study because it shows clearly the relationships that may exist between the variables. 20 schools were sampled for the study. The intended respondents were 20 Principals, 20 PTA Chairpersons and 20 BOM Chairpersons. The stratified random sampling technique was used in order to cover the different categories of players that were involved in the implementation process. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 CDF officers and 10 community members who had had previous experience in CDF management to provide information on CDF. The study gives recommendations on a number of issues that need to be attended to in order to bring about a more efficient and effective utilization of CDF assistance especially in the education sector. These recommendations especially address the roles played by Principals as well as Chairpersons of PTA and BOM respectively. The study also tried to show whether school Principals have competency in planning, supervising and monitoring of school projects. Similarly it tried to show whether PTA and BOM Chairpersons have the capacity to assist principals in project implementation.

Abstract: The paper investigated the relationship between investment in education, entrepreneurship and economic growth in Nigeria using annual time-series data from 1981 to 2013. OLS methodology, Johansen Co-integration and Error correction technique were employed to analyze macroeconomic data sourced from CBN statistical bulletin. The OLS result shows through its 98% goodness of fit value that all variable except unemployment are positively related to the gross domestic product, proxy for economic growth in Nigeria. The Co-integration test and the Error-correction technique revealed that a long-run relationship exists between investment in education, entrepreneurship and economic growth in Nigeria. The study suggests that the government should take appropriate measures to adequately invest in the educational sector and also place more attention on the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in order to ensure sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

Abstract: This paper sought to examine the effects of alternative sources of financing education provision of teaching and learning resourcesin public secondary schools, guided by four objectives. To find out the contributions of alternative sources of income in financing education on provision of teaching  and learning resources in public secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia  East Sub County, to assess  the extent  to which the various alternative income sources of financing education are reliable and adequate to purchase quality  teaching  and learning resources in public secondary school, to find out to what extent alternatives sources of financing education are  utilized to acquire quality teaching and learning resource  in public secondary schools , to find out which strategies can be devised to improve alterative income sources of funding to enhance the financing of  public secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to select a target population of 62 respondents. Questionnaires were used as the main data collection instruments. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis aided by SPSS software. The major finding was that the alternative sources of financing education in public secondary schools are grossly inadequate and irregular and fraught with myriad of challenges.

Abstract: This article is related to give overview of problems faced by Urban Cooperative Banks in India while selecting the software vendors at the time of adopting any new software solution.
Further it also gives suggestions for selecting the software vendor and legal reforms that are necessary in this regard. The basic objective is to protect the large stakeholder’s money that has been involved in this software vendor selection process by the Urban Cooperative Banks.

Abstract: This study purposed to investigate the effect of digital banking on customer satisfaction case of National Bank of Kenya. The objective that guided the study: To determine the effect of speed of transactions on Customer Satisfaction case of National Bank of Kenya, Bungoma County. The target population for the study was bank customers and banking staff from National Bank in Bungoma County. The study utilized a sample size of 417. Descriptive survey design was undertaken and data was collected using a triangulation of methods including questionnaires, interview schedules and document reviews. Analysis was undertaken with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences where both descriptive and correlation analysis were performed. The findings of the study established that there was a significant relationship between speed of transaction and customers satisfaction, χ2 (6, N=350) = 221.45. The study recommends that there is need by banks to invest more on robust reliable systems to reduce incidents of failed transactions and transactional errors in ATMs.